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Reading and Leeds 2017: The Stages part one

Summer always saves the best ’til last. The wait for Reading and Leeds is nearly over and to all of you heading off we have you covered. In the first part of our three part feature we take a look at The Main, Pit/Lock Up and the Festival Republic stages. Find out who is headlining, who is debuting and who we think is gonna rock!

The Main Stage:

Kasabian kick things off on the Friday (Saturday in Leeds). Off the back of a fifth consecutive number one album ‘For Crying Out Loud’ the Leicester lads show no signs of stalling and make a welcome return to the main stage, which they last played in 2012. Eminem is the main event for Saturday (Sunday in Leeds). Expect all the hits, as well as the possibility of new tracks from his long awaited new album – the follow up to 2013’s ‘Marshall Mathers LP 2’. Muse take to the stage on Sunday (Friday in Leeds), after last topping the bill in 2011. The festival favourites will be the perfect closing (or opening) to your weekend; with huge hits from their impressive discography.

Also on this stage aim to catch Rat boy on Friday (Saturday in Leeds), whose sensational debut ‘SCUM’ was recently featured on our website. Liverpool indie rockers Circa Waves are also on stage on the Friday, hailed as one of

RAT BOY

the best live bands at the moment expect songs from their sophomore effort ‘Different Creatures’ which was released earlier this year. Honeyblood make their main stage debut on Saturday (Sunday in Leeds). The Glaswegian grunge duo last year released their second album ‘Babes Never Die’ and have been refining their craft as a live band since. Mercury nominated Blossoms play the main stage on Sunday (Friday in Leeds). Last year’s self titled debut reached no. 1 in the charts and having cut their teeth playing the Radio 1 stage in 2016 they know what they need to do. PINS also play the main stage on the Sunday. The all female, all Manchester band has been a favourite of ours for years and having supported the likes of Sleater-Kinney and Drenge in the past, they are no strangers to the big stages.

The Pit/Lock Up:

Canadian alt-rockers Billy Talent return after seven years to headline the Pit on Friday (Saturday in Leeds). They come off the back of an extremely successful 2016; where they released album Afraid of Heights and toured extensively. Sheffield’s While She Sleeps celebrate their tenth anniversary by headlining the Pit on Saturday (Sunday in Leeds) and playing hits from their extensive back catalogue and 2017’s ‘You Are We’. Compared to the other two, pop-punkers Neck Deep are babies, having formed in 2012. However, they are experienced beyond their years having supported All Time Low on their tour of Australia and using this headline slot on Sunday (Friday in Leeds) to begin a headline UK tour in the Autumn and US tour in early 2018.

FREAK

Elsewhere, be sure to check out Freak playing the Pit on Friday (Saturday in Leeds). Having already supported Sundara Karma and Fidlar this one man machine will demand your attention. US rockers Tigers Jaw also play on the Friday – coming off the back of their successful fifth album ‘spin’. Fresh from a tour supporting ‘Pulled Apart by Horses’, Brighton alt-noise-pop trio TIGERCUB will make their festival debut on Saturday (Sunday in Leeds), while Sløtface will take to the stage on the Sunday (Friday in Leeds). They are a band which has gone from strength to strength; we fucking loved ‘Pitted’, and so did you! The band is embarking on a UK tour in the Autumn and is releasing their debut LP ‘Try Not to Freak Out’ on 15th September. Leed’s based Fizzy Blood also take to the stage on Sunday, giving us a taste of what’s to come on their EP ‘Summer of Luv’ (out 1st September).

The Festival Republic Stage:

Topping the bill on the Friday (Saturday in Leeds) are Bear’s Den. The Ivor Novello nominated band are coming off the back of last year’s LP ‘Red Earth & Pouring Rain’ and a UK tour. One of the most talked about acts of 2017;Cigarettes After Sex will make their Reading debut on the Friday. Their self-titled full length debut was met with critical acclaim for mixing the dream pop of the Cocteau Twins with a sparse fifties pop sound and in the Autumn they embark on a UK tour. Mercury nominated Big Moon also play their festival debut on the Friday – expect hits from their album ‘Love in the 4th Dimension’. Reading born and bred The Amazons will also play on the Friday, before embarking on a UK tour in October. IDLES will also be playing on the Friday, you’d be a fool to a miss a moshing to ‘Mother’!

Garage rock revivalist royalty The Black Lips play on the Saturday (Sunday in Leeds); expect tracks from this year’s acclaimed eighth LP ‘Satan’s Graffiti or God’s Art?’ as well as their older albums. Experienced duo Japandroids will also be playing the Saturday – expect hits from 2017’s ‘Near To The Wild Heart of Life’. Be sure to catch Bristol based Black Honey on the Saturday, before they embark on a European tour this fall. London based Pumarosa have been making waves, since the release of their debut ‘The Witch’, earlier this year, as have Superfood who are about to embark on a UK tour in support of their album ‘Bambino’. Sunday (Friday in Leeds) also sees festival debuts from King Nun, whose raucous single ‘Tulip’ will be a sight to behold, and Ten Tonnes whose debut EP ‘Born To Lose’ combined a soulful voice, with wry lyricism.